Monitoring cable release mechanism



March 26, 1957 D. D. GRIMES MONITORING CABLE RELEASE MECHANISM 2 She'ets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 50, 1954 INVENTOR DAVID D. GRIMES ATTORNEYS March 26, 1957 D. 0. GRIMES MONITORING CABLE RELEASE MECHANISM Filed Sept. 30, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN'fOR DAVID B. GRIMES d GJ'M- -r ATTORNEYS United, States .PatentfO MONITORING CABLE RELEASE MECHANISM David D. Grimes, Silver Spring, Md., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application September 30, 1954, Serial No. 459,568

2 Claims. (Cl. 89-1.7)

This invention relates generally to cable mechanisms, and more particularly to a monitoring cable support and release mechanism for use with guided missiles.

The pre-launching tests of a guided missile are generally made with the missile in firing position on the launcher. A large number of connections to circuits inside the missile are required for these tests. A relatively long monitoring cable provided with an umbilical plug at the end adjacent the missile is used to make the connections between the missile and the external test equipment. Such a long cable due to its weight, loads the umbilical plug with the extended weight of the cable which weighs approximately 100 pounds.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide means for supporting the cable so that the weight of the cable does not load the umbilical plug.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a supporting means that can be released from a remote point and will fall clear of the missile before launching.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the monitoring cable connected to a missile through an umbilical plug;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the details of the support and release mechanism; and

Fig. 3 is a view taken along 3-3 of Fig. 2.

According to the invention, a support and release mechanism is provided for a missile testing or monitoring cable having an umbilical plug adjacent one end thereof. This mechanism has a support line which has one end thereof attached to the cable, with the other end of the .support line being attached to a clevis block. A pair of latches is pivotally carried by the clevis block for re leasably attaching the block to an attaching block mounted on the shell of the missile.

Additional means are provided for releasing the latches, including a release arm pivotally mounted on the clevis block. The release arm has secured thereto pins which are received by the latches for placing the latches in a latching position.

A second line is also provided, one end of which is attached to the release arm and the other end of which is attached to the umbilical plug. The umbilical plug has independently operable means including a solenoid for releasably attaching it to the missile. When the umbilical plug is released by the operable means, it acts through the release arm to unlatch the latches thereby permitting the monitoring cable to fall clear of the missile.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a portion of the missile shell is shown at 10. A monitoring cable 12, for test purposes, is attached to the underside of the missile by means of an umbilical plug 14. This plug 14 is held in the attached position by means of a solenoid (not shown) inside the plug housing. The solenoid is 2,786,393 Patented Mar. 26', 1957 arranged to be triggered from the ground by power supplied through one of the circuits carried in the monitoring cable 12.

As indicated in Figs. 1 through 3, the weight of the monitoring cable 12 is supported by a bronze tiller rope 16. One end 13 of the tiller rope 16 is attached to the cable 12 by suitable means, while the other end is attached to a tiller rope clamp 17. Rope clamp 17 also has a rope thimble 19 attached to it. A safety hook 18 is received in an eye bolt 20 carried by a clevis block 22 which is releasably attached to an attaching block 24 on the missile shell 10. The attachment of the clevis block 22 to the attaching block 24 is accomplished by means of a pair of latches 26 pivotally carried by the pins 28 mounted on the clevis block 22. The latches 26 have pointed portions 30 adapted to be received in mating portions in the attaching block 24. The latches 26 are held in latched position by means of pins 32 carried on a pivoted segment shaped release arm 34.

To permit the latches 26 to swing open, the pins 32 are'withdrawn by swinging the release arm 34 downwardly under the weight of the umbilical plug 14. As can be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the plug 14 is attached to a bronze tiller rope 36 which is, in turn, attached to a point 38 on the release arm 34 by means of a terminal lug 37. The rope 36 runs over a roller 40 carried by two spaced links 42 which are part of an overcenter linkage mechanism having a pawl 45.

A pin 51 is utilized to secure the roller 40 to the lower ends of the links 42 by means of a retaining ring 52. A pin 53 is utilized for securing the pawl to the upper ends of the links 42. A pair of coiled springs 46 are secured to the lower portion 54 of the release arm 34 and to the pin 53. Pawl 45 is pivotally mounted to a gusset plate 56 by a pin 57. Gusset plate 56 is attached to the apex of the sector release arm 34. A slotted dog 59 for receiving thegusset plate 56 is attached to the clevis block 22 by suitable means, such as welding. This dog 59 is engaged and supports the slotted portions 60 of the pawl 45. Sector release arm 34 is pivotally mounted by pin 62 to the dog 59 and gusset plate 56. The linkage mechanism, when swung overcenter, permits the rope 36 to exert a direct pull on the release arm 34 at point 38.

When the missile 10 is at a launching angle as shown in Fig. l, gravity would tend to rotate the entire mechanism in the direction of the plug 14 about pointed portions 30 of latches 26. Such rotational movement is prevented by stop plate 23 whose upper end 25 bears against the lower surface of block 24. The stop plate 23 is secured at its lower end 27 to clevis block 22 by welding.

In operation, upon completion of the pre-launching tests, the solenoid carried in the plug 14 is actuated to release the plug 14. When the plug 14 falls away, its weight will cause the links 42 and pawl 45 to swing overcenter. The weight of the plug 14 will then act through rope 36 to swing the sector release arm 34 downwardly to withdraw the pins 32, thereby releasing the latches 26 and permitting the whole mechanism except the attaching block 24 to fall clear of the missile.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

l. A support and release mechanism for a missile monitoring cable having an umbilical plug or connector adjacent one end thereof, comprising, a support line attached to said cable, a member to which said support line is attached, a pair of latches pivotally carried by said member for releasably attaching said member to the position,v asecond line having one end attached to; said release; arm and the: other end attached to said plug, whereby when said plug is released, it acts to unlatch said latches thereby permitting said cable to fall clear or said missile.

2. A support and. release mechanism for a missile monitoring cable having an umbilical plug adjacent one end thereof, comprising, asupport line attached to the cable, a: member to which said line isattached, means carried by said member for attaching said member to the shell of the missile, and means for releasing said attaching means upon release of said plug from said missile shell, said releasing means including an arm pivotally carried by said member, and a second line attached at one end to said arm and at the other end to said plug on said cable.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 669,718 Great Britain Apr. 9, 1952 

